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4x16 The Detail's In the Devil
Francisco memorial hospital. Doctor Sherald walks into Piper’s hospital room. Piper is led in bed with a cup of water. She looks slightly tired. Piper: Oh thank God, Doctor Sherald. Are you here to send me home? I could really use my own bed, hard to sleep in this place with all the machines buzzing and beeping through the night. Doctor Sherald: Well… that depends on what you decide after we’ve had a chat. Piper: Oh, um, okay. Is this about the tests you ran? Doctor Sherald: It is. Do you have anyone you’d like to have here with you? Your husband or sisters perhaps? Piper: Well I can fill them in. Doctor Sherald: I really think you might want to… Piper: Doc, come one, the suspense is killing me. Sherald looks uneasy Piper (expression dropping): It’s bad isn’t it? Sherald pulls up a visitors chair and sits beside Piper’s bed. Doctor Sherald: The tests showed us that your cell count has worsened. There’s no way of knowing whether it has been that or the chemo that’s been causing your collapses, but it has gotten considerably worse. Piper (quietly and quivering slightly): So what do we do now? Doctor Sherald: With the way you’ve responded, I don’t think your body could handle a stronger course of chemo. Unfortunately when cancer spreads like this and responds so little to treatment… I’m afraid there’s not much we can do. is overwhelmed with shock and stares silently. Doctor Sherald: What we do next is up to you. I would recommend that you stay here and we can give you pain relief when needed, but I fully understand if you’d like to be at home. Piper: How (voice breaks and gasps)…how long do I have? Doctor Sherald: It’s hard to say, but I’d estimate a couple of months. You’ll start feeling considerably better after the chemo has worked its way out of your system, but then the pain will come back and we may need to… Piper: I want to go home. Doctor Sherald: Okay, I’ll arrange your discharge papers. If you need anything, you can contact me. We’ll arrange some pain management for when it’s needed. is devastated and nods silently. to the Manor attic. Prue slams the Book of Shadows closed and takes out a pen and paper. Kelly sits routing through a chest. Kelly: No luck? Prue: Nope. I’ll just have to write the spell myself. Kelly: If Phoebe blocked the Manor off from the spirits, she must have some serious mojo going. Prue: Which is why I need you to find that blood stone. You really think it’ll amplify the scrying? Kelly: Well blood stone’s known for picking up some of the more elusive dark forces, so I think it’s worth a shot. Prue: Great, then as soon as I get this spell done, hopefully we can summon mom and she can give us more help. Good job she could reach Piper in her sleep or we’d still be clueless about all this. enters the attic with Piper, he has his arm around her shoulder and they walk slowly together. Prue: Hey, it’s so good to see you home! goes and hugs Piper. Piper: Yeah sorry it took so long, took a while to get my meds. Plus we thought it’d be best not to orb since I’m already having dizzy spells. Prue: So your health is on the up then right? I mean, they wouldn’t have sent you home otherwise. Piper: Oh we can go through that when things are less hectic, how’s the search for Phoebe going? Leo: Well they’ve been working on getting back in contact with the spirit world thanks to Patty’s tip. Prue: Just written a spell. Kelly: We heard anything from Cole yet? Leo: No, he’s been in the Underworld trying to find leads on the location of the Covenant. Prue: Well, hopefully we can save him a job. lifts paper Prue: Okay… Beings of the spirit realm, hear our call to thee. No longer shall this dark wall block, our blessed family. waits expectantly. Leo: Did it work? Piper: One way to find out. walks to Prue’s side and the two join hands. Prue and Piper: Hear these words; hear our cry, spirit from the other side. Come to us, we summon thee, cross now the great divide. spheres of light swirl before them and form a glowing, transparent, Patty Halliwell. Patty: Thank goodness, I knew you’d do it. closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, her body glistens and she becomes corporeal. Piper: How did you..? Patty: I’ve been granted the ability to take corporeal form in order to help you, the stakes being so high and all. But before we discuss that… stretches her arms out for a hug. Her daughters embrace her. Piper: Can you tell where Grams is from here, now that the block is down? Patty: I have an idea of where she may have been sent and it will take a great deal of our strength to get her back. Prue: Well we’ll do it, whatever it takes. Piper: Yeah just lead the way. Patty: Oh no, sweetie, you’re not well enough for this. Piper: But you just said you’ll need all the strength you can get. Patty: You just got out of hospital, we’re not taking the risk of putting you in danger. You can stay here and scry for Phoebe. Piper: But mom, I.. holds up her finger. Patty: Nah ah. We both know you need to take it easy. We share the same base power, so I will go with Prue in case we need the power to freeze. Prue: She’s right. I can’t lose both my sisters. gives in. Piper: Fine. turns to Leo. Patty: Leo, can you orb us to the Underworld. Leo: Sure, any particular part. Patty: Oh yes, very particular. to a different version of the Manor. Downstairs in the kitchen, Grams is preparing a meal. Everything looks the same, except everything has a deep red tint. Child versions of Prue, Piper and Phoebe run through the Manor. Grams: Now, now girls, no running in the house. go into another room while Grams continues. Suddenly she hears a crash and some screams. She stops what she’s doing and runs into the living room. She sees a demon shimmering out and his horrified to see the bodies of her three granddaughters on the floor. Grams runs to them and cries, practically screaming, hysterically. The image slowly zooms out and blurs into a white light. The image zooms out further to reveal that the white light is in fact Grams’ soul which is floating in an enormous inferno along with various other souls. Credits Covenant, Lilith’s room. She stands gazing into the mirror on her wall. Images of Cole sneaking and running through the Underworld fill the glass. Lilith looks pleased. to another room where Phoebe stands in the middle of the room with her eyes closed. She waits patiently and breathes deeply. Suddenly two demons shimmer in either side of her. Before the first can even make a move, Phoebe, eyes still closes, waves her arm in his direction and incinerates him with a jet of flame. The second throws and energy ball in her direction. Phoebe does a levitation enhanced back flip and dodges the energy ball. Lilith walks into the room just as the demon attempts to throw another energy ball. Phoebe shoots another stream of fire which destroys the energy ball and the demon with ease. Lilith: I see practice is going well. Phoebe: You need tougher demons; these low- level morons aren’t preparing me for anything. Lilith: Well you’re in luck. Cole is searching the Underworld. I’m not sure for what, but he is without assistance. This could be the ideal time for you to go after him. Phoebe: Good, I’ll go right now. Lilith: He may not come willingly, you do know that? Phoebe: I know, but I didn’t come all this way to lose him to the Elders’ self-righteous, greater good delusion. Lilith: I’ll prepare a mirror to take you there. Phoebe: No need, I have a spell I used before. to the Underworld. A swarm of white lights delivers Prue and Patty. The cave walls are covered in what look like runic symbols. Prue: What do these runes mean? Patty: I’m not certain, but I imagine they’re warnings about going any further. Prue: (sigh) Of course. slowly walk on. Patty: So Piper told you everything I told her? Sorry I had to do the whole cryptic ghost thing, but we only get glimpses into things, it’s not always very clear. Prue: Yeah she did and don’t worry, we’ll take every bit of help we can right now. I’ve been training my magic; can only hope that it’s enough with Piper being weakened. Hopefully when we get Phoebe back, we can all call the elements and use the full force of the power of three to take out the Covenant. Patty: Well, not quite the full force. Prue: What do you mean? Patty: Well sweetie, don’t get me wrong, you’ve gotten very powerful, but the three of you are really only just scratching the surface as far as what you can do together is concerned. Prue: Well then how do we get past the surface? Patty: You trust in your sisterhood and the love you have for each other. That may be the key to saving Phoebe. And when you get her back and Piper develops a third power, the power of three will continue to grow. Prue: What was that about Piper? Patty: A third power. Three sister witches, three powers each. Prue: Just like Melinda Warren. Patty: Exactly. Prue: Do me a favour and don’t tell that to Piper, she already feels like she’s slowing us down. part of the Underworld. Cole talks to a bald headed demon. Demon: You have some nerve showing up around here Belthazor. Cole: Right, but come on, the amount of dirt I have on you, you’re not gonna tell anyone. demon, annoyed, shrugs in agreement. Cole: I need the location of The Source’s Covenant. Demon: Which location? Cole: Which… wait, there’s more than one? Demon: Well of course, they’re… he can finish, he goes up in flames and explodes. As the flames subside, Phoebe is seen with her arm outstretched. Cole: Oh my God, Phoebe. Phoebe (sweetly): Hey, I’ve missed you. back to Prue and Patty. They stop and the cave is lit with a red glow. Patty and Prue look on. Prue: Woah, what is that? two are looking at a huge inferno with countless souls floating inside. Patty: There are many names for it, but Hell is how it’s most often referred to. Prue: Hell? I thought we were already in Hell. Patty: The Underworld is an enormous place, Prue. As big as Earth, perhaps even bigger. There are the areas where the demons dwell, the inferno where the tortured souls are kept and countless other areas that I don’t wish to even know about. Prue: You’re telling me Phoebe sent Grams here? Why would she send her here? Patty: She probably sent her soul to anywhere it would be trapped, not knowing an exact place, there aren’t many places that hold souls like this. Prue: Well I could pull her soul out with my power if all the souls didn’t look the same. Disembodied Female Voice: It won’t be that simple. and Patty look around. A pillar of flame rises from the ground and Charon the soul collector appears. She hovers just above the ground and smirks at Prue. Charon: I knew I’d see you again. Prue: I know you… Charon: Ghost of Alcatraz, ring any bells? His soul is one of the many burning in these fires, I guess I have you to thank for that one. to Phoebe and Cole. Cole: You need to go back to your sisters, The Covenant and The Source have brainwashed you. Phoebe: I’m brainwashed? Cole I can see things clearer than ever. It’s you that needs to come witth me. cave darkens. Phoebe and Cole look around to see what is happening. An explosion of fire erupts nearby and then dissipates as fast as it appeared, revealing a handsome man. Phoebe gasps as a strange sensation runs through her body. Phoebe: It’s you, isn’t it? I never imagined you being so… sorry that’s disrespectful of me. Man: Not at all, I have many forms; I thought this one would please you most. realises who he is. Cole: The Source. The Source: Fear not Belthazor, I am not here to kill you, I trust you will be back into the fold soon enough. Cole (to Phoebe): He’s here because he’s afraid I’ll bring you back to good. The Source: Well that’s not true at all. I think Phoebe has gone far beyond the dichotomy of good and evil forced down her throat by The Elders. Having the message so overly simplified by them…but that’s what you get dealing with middle men I guess. Phoebe: Middle men? The Source: Oh yes, the Elders aren’t quite the top of the pyramid… but they don’t often share that; they wouldn’t seem as important if they did. That’s where we’re different you see, I don’t hide behind sanctimonious robes. Cole: No, just a whole Underworld worth of demons and a cult of human on earth. The Source: And yet here I am, when Phoebe is in need. Here in person, to give her comfort. Phoebe: Thank you. The Source: I understand the confusion. When the earth first came to be, a force known as the Akasha governed everything in the universe. You know it as magic; the energy good witches channel to cast spells. It used to take care of everything, making things simple, making things safe. But then The Elders were created and the Akasha got lazy with someone else taking charge. It no longer actively took charge of the world, leaving it to the Elders to sort out, while giving the odd instruction from behind the scenes. In fighting started between them, disagreements became commonplace and a war broke out. Cole: A war that you started! The Source: No one person starts a war Cole… I was however the first casualty. Phoebe: What did they do? The Source: The Elders were split. Some were still devoted to the Akasha while some rejected it, wanting to use the power they’d been given to further their own passions; beliefs of what the world should be. I was the first to be cast out from up there…because they found it fitting since I was the first of them to be created. Phoebe (shocked): You were the first Elder? The Source: I was wasting my time up there, they did me a favour. They sent me underground because I didn’t agree with them. I became The Source, I made the Underworld what it is today. The other Elders they sent down later…they became my Triad, my council and all demons were born from my power. I found my own energy, my own magic, which you my dear have been given a taste of. smiles. Cole: Phoebe, you know you’re good. You can’t seriously be buying into this. Phoebe: Oh please! You’re really going to stand there acting like it’s so cut and dry? Cole, you had good and evil tearing you apart inside for years! All because nobody could see passed those two labels. You spent years trying to change your nature, when you should have been accepting it. Cole: Phoebe, I changed for you. Phoebe: I know you did…and I’m admitting that I was wrong to make you do that. The Source isn’t fighting just for demons; he’s fighting for magic and for our freedom! That’s what The Covenant is all about. Cole: And how many mortals have to die for his plan to succeed? pauses for a moment. Phoebe: Depends how many try to hold us down. Source smiles. Phoebe: The world needs to change Cole, it’s gone beyond the trivial demon fighting. You can tell my sisters just that. looks disappointed and begins to shimmer out, Phoebe reaches out to try and grab him, but she’s too late and her hand goes right through his fading image. Phoebe: Damn it. The Source: Don’t worry Phoebe. He’ll go back to the Manor; you can get him by force. Phoebe: But my sisters… The Source: Will be a minor obstacle if you share the Covenants energy. Use a linking ritual and feel their power in you. nods. Phoebe: If that’s what it takes. to the Manor attic. Piper and Kelly sit either side of a map. Piper holds a bloodstone suspended on string and tries to scry. Piper: I’m not even getting a little pull; we’ve been at this for like an hour. Kelly: I could see if there’s a stone that might be stronger. drops it. Piper: Kelly who are we kidding? The Covenant is bound to have some mystical protection; this is a waste of time. skips over and kisses up to Piper’s leg. Piper picks him up on her lap. Piper: This guy always knows when I need a snuggle. Kelly: Well they say animals are sensitive; familiars even more so. allows a smile. Kelly: Are you doing okay? I know we haven’t really spent much time together, just the two of us, but I’m a good listener if you need to vent. takes a moment. Piper: I got some news from the doctor, it’s not good. Kelly: I’m sorry, I can’t even imagine. Piper: I feel so powerless. As much sickness and pain as I’ve had, this feeling of not being strong enough for… well, anything! It’s soul destroying. Kelly: I think it helps; you just being here. This place isn’t the same without you. that comment, Piper suddenly bursts into tears. Kelly: Oh God, I’m sorry, I didn’t… Piper: No, everybody keeps telling me, I’m the heart of the family. I know people mean well, but I’m not sure they realise how much pressure that can be… especially now that… gasps with tears. Kelly lays her hand on hers. Piper: Especially now that I’m not going to be around. I have no idea how to even tell them. How do you tell your family you don’t have long when you can’t even really process it yourself? doesn’t say anything, she stays with Piper in the moment. Piper (Wiping tears away): I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be putting this burden on you. Please don’t tell Prue. Kelly: I won’t, I promise. Nobody but you has a right to share this. Piper: I’ll tell her when we get Phoebe back. Anyway, we should try scrying again. Kelly: You sure? Piper: One thing I know for certain is that I can’t leave this world with my family and San Francisco the way they are now. I have to help fix things…and fast. hugs Kit and puts him down, she picks up the crystal and continues scrying. Kelly takes her other hand in hers and focuses on the crystal. Kelly: A little extra energy can’t hurt right? smiles. Piper (obviously not meaning just for the scrying): Thank you. to Prue and Patty facing Charon Prue: So you took Grams. Charon: On the contrary, I usually have to work very hard to get my souls, but hers just popped right to me. No idea from where, but that doesn’t bother me all that much to be honest. Patty: What exactly is happening to my mom in there? Charon: She’s trapped in a hell of her own choosing; or at least her subconscious mind’s own choosing. All these souls are doomed to go through the same day over and over again, living their worst nightmare. It’s so much worse than an eternity of fire and brimstone. Prue: You need to get out of my way. Charon: Or what? waves her hand and the sound of her power chimes, but nothing happens to Charon. Charon laughs Charon: Foolish witch. I exist on the spiritual plane, you have no power over me so long as you’re flesh and blood. smiles and concentrates. Her body glimmers briefly and she becomes transparent. Patty: Good to know. waves her hands at Charon and she freezes. Patty: We’d better hurry; I doubt she’ll stay frozen long. Prue: Okay, I have an idea. Maybe I can astral project myself into Grams’ hell. Maybe my astral self can sense out her spirit without me knowing which soul is hers. Patty: Okay, have you done anything like that before? gives her mom a look. Patty: Yeah…stupid question. I’m with you honey. closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Her body goes into a trance. The screen flashes inside Grams’ hell reality. Grams walks into the living room and finds the girls dead, again. She is horrified, but before she can walk towards them, Prue materialises in her path. Grams (confused): Who? Who are you? looks around and is horrified to see herself and her sisters as children, dead. Prue moves closer to Grams. Prue: Grams, it’s me, you’re inside a nightmare. This is where Phoebe sent you. looks confused still. Prue: Remember, there’s something wrong with Phoebe, The Source got to her. looks more alert. Grams: He was always sending demons to watch her. Prue: Yes, you remember? closes her eyes and focuses. She opens her eyes and smiles at Prue. Grams: I remember! and Grams hug. Prue’s astral-self dematerialises. to Prue’s physical self, she awakens. The inferno sparks and one of the souls flies out of it and in a swirl of white lights, becomes Grams in transparent glowing form. Patty: You guys are just in time. looks at Charon who is adjusting to the freeze. Grams: Let me help you with that. points at Charon and then gestures at one of the cave walls, the freeze breaks and Charon is pummelled against the stone. Grams: Oh it’ll be a pleasure vanquishing you! Charon: Without the power of three? Good luck with that Grandma! gets ready to attack again, but Charon flames out. Grams: Well, we won today’s battle. Prue: Just one Halliwell to go. to the Covenant. Phoebe sits in the centre of a circle of robed and hooded Covenant members. They chant in Latin as they pass a small cauldron and knife around the circle. Each member cuts their finger and allows a few drops of blood to drip into the cauldron before passing it on. Phoebe: I am one with The Covenant, their power lies in me. the final member gives their blood, the cauldron is passed to Phoebe. She lays her hands over it and sparks of red energy begin to burst upwards from the cauldron into her hands. Phoebe grimaces a little as it burns. She opens her eyes and they are blackened, red cracks appear in them and glow like lava. She closes her eyes and puts her hands down, gasping and looking at the ground. She takes a moment to catch her breath and then slowly stands. Phoebe: It’s time! to the Manor attic. Prue, Piper, Leo, Cole and Kelly look nervous. Cole: I have a feeling Phoebe will be coming here soon and she’s gonna be pissed. Prue: Then we’ll be ready. Piper did you find all the protection charms you could? Piper: Yep and I’ve got the broom and the apples and laurel leaves to do the stuff we learned from Eva last year. Prue: They might actually be our best bet… we wanted to get in touch with the routes of our magic; I guess we have the chance now. Leo (to Piper): As soon as you’ve done the protection, I’ll orb you some place safe. Piper: I’m staying in the Manor though. Leo: What? But Piper… Piper: No buts, I am not abandoning my sisters. I will stay in the basement while you guys try to talk some sense into her, but I won’t run away. Prue (to Leo): Mom did say that the power of three might be the way to go. As much as I hate putting her near this, she should probably be close by. Piper: Will you guys stop talking like she’s a demon; this is Phoebe we’re talking about. looks uncomfortable. Cole: I hope you’re right. looks worried by Cole’s comment. Prue: Let’s get to work. to outside the Manor. Far down the street, Phoebe stands and looks at the Manor. She clenches her fist and flames pulsate through her hand. She begins to walk down the street, towards the house. COMING SOON…